Oil-heater



R. DOUGHERTY AND J. F. KIRBY.

' OIL HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, I9I8.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- R. DOUGHERTY AND J. F. KIRBY.

OIL HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE27, I918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 wg \NN IIIII r III III III II II: III n I :5 H

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT DOUGHERTY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN F. KIRBY, OF SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

OIL-HEATER.

Application filed June 27, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT DOUGI-IERTY, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, count and State of New York, and JOHN F. I IRBY, residing at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Heaters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in oil-burners and particularly to oil-burners of the type (generically considered) shown and described in the Littlefield patent, (No. 421411) the McOord patent, (No. 868304), the Speer patent, (No. 7 57 121) the Hayers patent, (No. 1009744), and the Hudgens patent (No. 1236305) and an object of this invention is to provide an oil-burner of the kind just mentioned with means by which communication is established between the bottom portion of the generator-chamber and the burner-chamber for the purpose of leading oil from the former to the latter and equalizing the pressures existing in the two chambers. Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a burner the holes of which are designed to prevent the accumulation of carbon and which will therefore dispense with the need of attention in keeping the burner-holes clear or open and free of carbon. A third object of this invention lies in the provision of a burner the combustion in which will be of the bluefiame kind and which will be free from the objectonable deposit of carbon. A fourth object of this invention is to provide a burner in which the flame will continue steady so long as the oil is fed. A fifth object of this invention is to provide a burner in which the flow of oil will continue steady. Other features of this invention will be brought out and referred to in the description that follows hereinafter.

In the drawings illustrating this invention and the best mode now known to us of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a single burner embodying this invention in its construction; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line AA of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating the drip-pan in elevation, detached; Fig. A shows in elevation the burner illus- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 242,219.

trated in :Fig. 1 fitted with an extension burner; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the air-escape pipe with which the oil-reservoir is equipped and which serves to insure a steady flow of oil therefrom; and Fig. 6 is a detail showing another form of device for causing the flow of oil to be steady.

Into the oil-inlet opening a of the gener ator a, there is screwed a connection I) by means of which the oil-feed pipe 0 is joined to the generator a. The upper end of the oil-feed pipe 0 communicates with the lower part of the oil-reservoir d, and the flow of oil through the oil-feed pipe 0 is controlled by the rotary valve 6. The top of the generator a is formed with an opening a that is normally closed by a screw plug (4*. EX- cept for the opening a", the top of the generator a is closed. Opposite the opening a, there extends across the generator at, near the side thereof (Figs. 1 and 2), a partitionwall or dam f; and, from that part of the bottom of the generator a that lies between the side of the latter and the dam f, there depends a pipe 9 the lower end of which communicates with the burner-chamber h. The ends of the latter are closed by screwplugs 2', i. The oil-vapor generated in the chamber a rises, fiows over the upper edge of the dam f and down through the pipe 9 into the burner-chamber 7t and thence through the burner-hole h, where the vapor burns with a blue flame, the heat from which strikes the bottom of the generator a. One end of the equalizer-pipe j is fitted into the sidewall of the generator-chamber a and communicates with the same at the bottom portion thereof while its other end communicates with the burner-chamber 72, at a substantial distance from the burner-hole 72. (Figs. 1 and 2). During the operation of the oil-burner, the equalizer-pipe serves to maintain equal the pressures existing in the burner-chamber h and the generator-chamber a and thereby insures a steady flame.

When the oil-burner is started, the oil is allowed to flow through the oil-feed pipe 0 by giving the valve 6 a partial turn. The oil flows into the generator chamber a but will not rise higher than the equalizerpipe j, which conducts the oil to the burnerchamber h. That the latter is filled will be indicated by the appearance of oil at the burner-hole h, whereupon the oil is ignited at the burnerl1ole It. Should any oil overflow through the burner-hole it, it will be caught by the drip-pan Z0, whichis formed with two (liametrically opposite pairs of posts m between which passes the issuing from the burner-hole it strikes and is deflected and spread out. The burners 7b, a, are connected by the valve-casing 0 and the flow of oil-gas or oil-vapor to the burner n is controlled by the cock 0*. Of

burner h, which is rectangular in cross-sec eourse, when an extension-burner is used,

tion and so shaped as to fit between the posts at without turning. After oil-vapor or oil-gas begins to be generated, the valve 6 is given a further additional turn. The valvec is now su'liiciently open to insure a constant supply of oil to be converted into oil-gas or oil-vapor. As is clearly shown in Fig. l, the dam fis of such height as almost to touch the top of the generator a; by making the dam so high, there is excluded any possibility of there taking place a flow of a mixture of oil and oil-vapor through the conduit and there is thus insured that nothing other than oil-vapor will flow through the conduit 9. A steady flow of oil-vapor to the burner-hole h is in sured by the fact that the pressures in the generatorchamber a and the lnirner-cham ber 7b are equalized by the connection between these two chambers that is effected by the equalizer-pipe j; and the provision of the dam 7' and the equalizeupipe j is considered by us an important feature of this invention; In short, the flame is steady, blue and free from smoke.

As is clearlyindicated in Fig. 2, the conduit 9 is V-shaped in horizontal section; and, by giving the conduit 9 this shape, it is insured that there will be no appreciable deposit of carbon by reason of the flame striking the conduit 9.

It is to be observed that the wall of the burner-chamber h, juts below where the hole 7b is formed, is recessed; and, by the provision of this recess 72/, the deposit of carbon is prevented. In other burners of this kind known to us, it is necessary to keep the burner-hole clear of carbon and open by the constant use of a pick or pointed wire; but the use of such a device is entirely dispensed with in our burner by the formation of the recess it below the burnerhole 7L, which prevents the accumulation of carbon there.

The structure of the oil-heater illustrated in Fig. 1 is such as to lend itself readily to the attachment of extension burners. An oil-heater B provided with an extension burner 71 is illustrated in Fig. at, wherein the plug ,2" is removed or omitted and is re placed by the screw-threaded end 0 of a valve casing 0 the other end 0 of-which is likewise screw-threaded and engages the inlet end a of the extension-burner a. The

zontally toward the main-burner A a flame-spreader 9 against which the flame the valve 6 is opened to permit a greater flow of oil than in case a single burner is used. In an entirely similar manner to that pursued in the attachment of-the extensionburner B, a second extensiomburner maybe attachedto the end of the burner h opposite the burner a, in this case, the screwplug 2' will, of course, be removed.

In Fig. 5, there is shown an arrangement of parts whereby the flow of oil from the reservoir (Z through the feed-pipe c is facilitated and made more constant and steady. Just above thevalve 0, there is connected with the pipe 0 an air-escape or air-relief pipe 1 the upper end of which overhangs the oil-tank (l; and any air that may be caught in the pipe 0 will be given a vent and will escape through the reliefpipe 1. Thus, there will be avoided a decreased flow by reason of the parts becoming air-bound, as it is called. In Fig. 6, the pipe 8, which is inserted in the upper end or mouth of the pipe 0 serves the same purpose as the pipe 7; i. 6., as a vent or relief-pipe to permit the escape of air that may be caught in the oil. Other and equivalent means of accomplishing the same result will suggest themselves to those skilled in this art.

The generator a is cup-shaped and its hot tomis substantially circular, whereby there is presented a heating surface of substantial area against which the flame impinges and spreads. The part 6 of the bottom of the generator a against which the flame first strikes is at the center of the bottom and is flat; and, from this flat, central part t, which is small in area, the bottom slopes gently upward toward the outer edge of the bottom, so that the main part of the latter is in the form of a frustum of a cone. After striking the central part 25, the fiame spreads out over the sloping part t, which is surrounded by an outer annular area Z, which is flat and the purpose of which is to avoid the flames licking up over the bottom edge of the generator (4 (or the edge of the flamespreader q, the bottom of which is shaped like the bottom of the generator (6). The provision of a cup-shaped (as distinguished from an elongated or pipe-like) generator 66 is regarded by us as an important feature of this invention, as is also the particular and peculiar shape of the bottom of the generator and flame-spreader.

By unscrewing the plug a", access can be obtained to the interior of the generator (6 forthe purpose of repairing the same or cleaning it out.

The oil-heater hereinbefore described is particularly well adapted for heating rooms, as well as for use in the fire-pot of an ordinary kitchen-range or furnace, or, in short, wherever a simple, compact and cheap means of heating is required or desired. The gaseous fuel burns with a blue flame, which .indicates perfect combustion and insures an absence of carbon deposit and the odor of burning oil. At starting, a layer of oil of slight depth accumulates in the generator a, for the oil cannot rise above the upper end of the equalizer-pipe j, which conducts the oil from the generator at to the burner h. The result is that, after the oil in the burner h is ignited in starting the heater, it requires only an exceedingly short time for the generation of oil-gas or oilvapor from the very small quantity of oil in the generator a. Moreover, by reason of the provision of the dam f, there is no overflow or foaming of oil from the generator at to he conduit and the fuel supplied to the burner h is entirely gaseous and not a mixture of liquid and gaseous fuel. The dam extends to near the top of the generator a and is of such a great height, comparatively speaking, as to exclude any possibility of there taking place any bubbling or splashing over of the oil in the liquid form. By actual timing, it has been found to require less than two minutes to have the heater burning gaseous fuel with a blue flame. After the heater is in this condition, the surging of pressure from end to end of the burner 71 is prevented by the presence of the equalizer-pipe 7', which relieves the pressure of the gaseous fuel in the burner it, should it become too high or unequal throughout the length of the same; and a steady T211116 results. Little attention need be given the heater; for by the provision of the recess it at the inlet end to the burnerhole It, the formation of a carbon deposit at the burner-hole is avoided and the use of a pick to keep the burner-hole clear is entirely dispensed with. The flame burns, therefore, with a constant size and intensity. The number of flames may readily be multiplied by attaching extension-burners to the main-burner (Fig. 4;).

in accordance with the patent statutes, we have described hereinhefore the preferred form and construction of our heater and the principle thereof; but we recognize that changes may be made in the construction herein disclosed without departing from the principle of this invention and we desire to be understood as regarding such changes as falling within the scope of the claims that follow hereinafter.

V7 e claim:

1. An oil-heater including a generatorchamber; a burner-chamber formed with a burner-hole through which the vapor escapes and at which the vapor burns; a conduit by which the vapor is led from the generator-chamber to the burner-chamber; and an equalizer-pipe which is independent of said. conduit and one end of which communicates with the generator-chamber at the lower portion thereof and the other end of which communicates with the burnerchamber at a point which is at a substantial distance from said burner-hole.

2. An oil-heater including a generator divided into two parts by a partition-wall; a burner-chamber formed with a burner-hole through which the vapor escapes and at which the vapor burns; a conduit one end of which communicates with one ofthe two parts of the generator and the other end of which communicates with the burnerchamber; and an equalizer-pipe which is independent of said conduit and one end of which communicates with the other of the two parts of the generator and the other end of which communicates with the burnerchamber at a point which is at a substantial distance from said burner-hole.

8. An oil-heater including a generator; a burner; a conduit connecting the generator and the burner; and a drip-pan beneath the burner for the reception of the overflow of oil; characterized in that the burner is formed with fiat surfaces and is fitted slidably to the drip-pan with the flat surfaces resting against the walls of recesses in the drip-pan.

Signed at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, this twenty-fourth day of June, A. D. 1918, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

ROBERT DOUGHERTY. JOHN F. KIRBY.

lVitnesses:

HENRY R. Nms, SAMUEL P. TUTlHIM. 

